It has been 20 days since the war between the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, and its ally, the United States, started.

The war, which started when the United States of America and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, has spiralled to other countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, following retaliatory attacks by Iran on US military personnel and assets in these countries.

The objective of the US and Israel in the war has been very clear – regime change. Since the war started, Israel and its allies have successfully killed senior members of the political leadership of Iran, from its Supreme Leader to key ministers of the country.

Despite these killings, Iran has not capitulated as many predicted. Even though Iran has lost about 40 senior political, security, or military leaders, it continues to strike Israeli and US assets in the Middle East.

The question now is: would the killing of these Iranian leaders help the course of the US and Israel, or would the deaths of these men lead to the rise of more “hardliners,” potentially prolonging the war?

Here is a look at some of the top political and security leaders of Iran killed so far in the war:

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Supreme Leader of Iran – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:



The seniormost Iranian official killed in the war is the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who essentially runs the country.
He was killed on the first day of the war in a targeted airstrike on his compound in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council – Ali Larijani:



The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, a senior security official and de facto strategist for Iran’s wartime leadership, has also been killed.

He was killed in an airstrike on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Basij Paramilitary Forces Commander – Gholamreza Soleimani:



The Commander of Iran’s Basij Paramilitary Forces, one of the five branches of the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Gholamreza Soleimani, has also been killed.

Reports indicated that he was killed in a strike on Iranian leadership targets in mid‑March 2026.

Minister of Intelligence – Esmail Khatib:



Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib, was also killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Other top leaders who have been confirmed dead include:

Secretary of the Iranian Defence Council

Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces

Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics

Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader

Chairman of the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND)

Former Chairman of SPND

Deputy for Logistics and Support, General Staff

Commander, Iran Police Intelligence Organization

Head of Operations Planning, General Staff

Senior Intelligence Ministry Official

Head of Intelligence Directorate, Khatam‑al Anbiya Central Headquarters (IRGC)

BAI

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